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Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine House and Senate cast votes on slew of gun bills
Tim Russell of Sydney was among the gun rights proponents who attended a day of action for gun safety at the Maine State House on Jan. 3, 2024. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star) Maine lawmakers took up more than a dozen bills related to firearms late last week, covering a variety of issues including concealed carry laws, safe storage and the definition of a machine gun. While many have already been killed, some proposals are still waiting for further action to determine if they will make it to Gov. Janet Mills' desk. Here's a closer look at what happened with the legislation. Following recommendations from the Judiciary Committee, the chambers rejected four proposals introduced this session to amend the state's concealed carry laws. This included LD 1049, which sought to eliminate the requirement that someone carrying a concealed weapon without a valid permit needs to inform law enforcement immediately during routine traffic stops, arrests or detainment. During discussion on the House of Representatives floor, Rep. Adam Lee (D-Auburn) said that removing that requirement would 'disrupt the balance' that allows Maine to be a constitutional carry state. 'I wanted to stress again that all of the testimony that we heard from law enforcement was supportive of the 'ought not to pass' in this bill, and that the current law as it exists is the product of a compromise that brought us constitutional carry in the state of Maine,' Lee said. The House and Senate rejected a proposal (LD 829) from Sen. David Haggan (R-Penobscot) that he said would clean up confusion in existing law by making it clear that someone can carry a concealed firearm in a state park, so long as they are not otherwise prohibited from possessing one. Lawmakers in both chambers also voted down a proposal to reduce the age limit that a person can carry without a permit (LD 424) and LD 998, which would have removed the requirement that an employee have a valid concealed carry permit to store a firearm in their vehicle at work. Lawmakers in both chambers opted to kill LD 1109, which started as a proposal to ban the possession of large-capacity magazines. Before it hit chamber floors, the bill divided Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. Some opted to amend the bill to focus on the trafficking of those items while others backed an amendment to limit magazines to 10 rounds for long guns and 15 for handguns. Committee chair Sen. Anne Carney (D-Cumberland) asked the Senate to pass the amendment that would address the trafficking of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, which is defined as accepting more than 20 rounds of ammunition. However, they rejected that 15-20 before opting to kill the bill. The House voted 67-81 and the Senate voted 16-19 against passage of LD 1120. That proposal sought to expand current firearm storage laws so someone would be liable if their negligent storage led to a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm gaining access to one. The Senate also voted down an amended version of LD 1299, which would prohibit a person from storing a handgun in an unoccupied vehicle, unless it is out of view and locked specifically in a hard-sided container with the car locked. The House still has yet to take up the bill. Both chambers supported an amended version of LD 1174, which would limit the liability on gun shops that enter into firearm hold agreements. That bill was initially more narrow and sought to give a gun shop immunity when taking possession of a firearm owned by a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or first responders. Though a majority of the Judiciary Committee did not support that proposal, the amended version that won over the chambers was backed by most Republicans on the committee and one Democrat. The bill also received an enactment vote from the House Friday. It needs final approval from the Senate before it can be sent to Mills. After the House rejected it, the Senate narrowly supported a bill that would allow municipalities to adopt policies prohibiting firearms within municipal buildings and polling places. LD 1743 was also supported by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who told the Judiciary Committee that towns should have the option to regulate firearms in polling places because there is often anxiety over threats to election workers that data collected by her office shows persist. Haggan said during the floor debate that creating this sort of patchwork policy in the state could cause firearm owners to unintentionally be in violation. The House has yet to revisit the bill, leaving it still in nonconcurrence. Lawmakers in the House voted 77-70 to support an amended version of LD 1126, which would require serial numbers for so-called ghost guns that are assembled at home or those made with a 3D printer. It would also prohibit undetectable firearms, meaning those that can't be spotted with a metal detector — which is the case for many 3D printed guns. Rep. Sam Zager (D-Portland), the bill's sponsor, said it is 'crucial' for enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement amid the growing prevalence of 'ghost guns.' However, opponents of the bill argued it would infringe on the rights and traditions of Mainers. The Senate originally supported the bill, as well, but then moved to reconsider on Friday leaving it in limbo. On Thursday, the House and Senate rejected the version of LD 411 that was backed by Democrats on the committee, instead opting for the version backed by Republicans. The proposal asks the attorney general to update the rules relating to the disposition of forfeited firearms so that the majority of proceeds from auctioning those guns goes to the state's Safe Homes Program. That program supports the safe storage of firearms, prescription drugs and other dangerous weapons. The bill also received its second vote of approval from the House Friday. The Senate still needs to give its final approval before the bill can head to Mills. Without discussion on the floor, the House voted 76-72 to reject LD 1062, which sought to roll back background checks on the private sales of firearms. Essentially, it would have repealed a law that was part of a slate of reforms introduced last year by Mills in response to the Lewiston shooting that expanded background checks to advertised sales. The Senate also voted down the measure 18-15 on Friday. LD 1867, which prohibits financial institutions and merchants from using firearm codes to track purchases, initially passed the Senate 20-15, but then the upper chamber reconsidered its decision and tabled the bill to be taken up again later. On the Senate floor, Sen. Matthew Harrington (R-York), who sponsored the bill, described it as prohibiting financial institutions from creating a 'de facto gun registry.' The House still has yet to take up the bill. Carney said during the Senate floor debate that LD 677 addresses a 'glaring gap' in statute by essentially banning bump stocks or other accessories that turn semi-automatic firearms into machine guns. However, Haggan argued the change could 'leave the door wide open for banning all firearm modifications,' including those used by people with disabilities. Mills made a similar argument when she vetoed a proposal Carney put forward last session to update the statutory definition of machine gun. In her veto message, Mills said she worried the bill would have unintentionally banned weapons that responsible gun owners use for hunting or target shooting. Carney said she took those words to heart when drafting her bill this session; however, the Senate and House still rejected it. But that wasn't the final word on the state's definition for a machine gun. LD 953, which seeks to align Maine's definition with the federal definition, was tabled in the Senate after it narrowly failed passage. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP lawmakers seek rollback of 72-hour waiting period, background checks for certain firearm sales
Tim Russell of Sydney was among the minority of demonstrators on Jan. 3, 2024 who protested in support of gun rights. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) After scraping by with razor-thin support last session and pending questions about its legality, Maine's 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases is before lawmakers again as Republicans seek to repeal it. Last session, the Legislature passed a bill requiring a three-day waiting period after someone purchases a gun before they can bring it home as part of a slew of gun safety legislation in the aftermath of the deadly Lewiston mass shooting. The law is currently suspended amid a legal challenge questioning its constitutionality, but legislators are still seeking to do away with it in Maine statute. After lawmakers voted to enact the bill 73-70 in the House of Representatives and 18-17 in the Senate, Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who has a history of support for gun rights, allowed it to become law but did not endorse it with her signature. At the time, she said she was conflicted over what she saw as the burden it placed on law-abiding citizens, while also understanding the argument that it could save lives by preventing impulsive suicides and homicides. After the waiting period took effect in August, opponents filed a lawsuit in November claiming it violates the Second Amendment rights of people who have passed background checks. Earlier this year, a U.S. District Court judge sided with the gun rights advocates and temporarily paused the waiting period. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey appealed the decision, but a federal appeals court last week refused to reinstate the waiting period while the lawsuit unfolds. Meanwhile, the Legislature's Judiciary Committee is set to hold a public hearing Wednesday morning for two proposals to repeal the law entirely. Both bills would repeal the portion of Maine statute that requires someone who sells a firearm to wait 72 hours before delivering it to the buyer. LD 208 is sponsored by House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), while the nearly identical LD 1230 is sponsored by Rep. Quentin Chapman (R-Auburn). The committee will also hear a proposal from Rep. Jennifer Poirier (R-Skowhegan) to roll back another gun reform measure passed last session: background checks on the private sales of firearms. Specifically, LD 1062 would repeal a law that was part of a slate of reforms introduced by Mills in response to the Lewiston shooting that expanded background checks to advertised sales. During last year's House discussion ahead of the floor vote on the bill, proponents said it closed a loophole in Maine's background check law without requiring universal background checks — which Mainers narrowly voted down in a 2016 referendum. But opponents argued it was an infringement of Second Amendment rights that would only further burden law-abiding citizens. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposals to amend concealed carry laws saw pushback from business community, law enforcement
Tim Russell of Sydney was among the minority of demonstrators on Jan. 3, 2024 who protested in support of gun rights. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) Among the gun legislation before the Maine Legislature this session are proposals to amend constitutional and concealed carry laws that drew concerns from the business and law enforcement communities. The Legislature's Judiciary Committee held public hearings Wednesday for eight gun bills that were broken into two groups to make public input more efficient. While half of the bills related to various aspects of concealed carry law, the other four dealt with the definition of machine guns, magazine capacity and serial numbers on firearms. Laura Whitcomb, president of Gun Owners of Maine, said the group supported the four that would help standardize the laws around carrying firearms in the state, including the differences between having a permit to carry a concealed weapon and not having one. 'If you are not a person who generally carries a firearm, it might be difficult to understand that most people who carry a firearm do so on a regular basis,' she said to explain why consistency in statute is important for those individuals. Maine residents can carry a handgun without a permit if they are 21 years old and not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm — what's colloquially referred to as constitutional carry. There are exceptions allowing people who are 18 to 20 years old to carry without a permit if they are active duty military or have been honorably discharged. Rep. Alicia Collins (R-Sidney) is seeking to lower the constitutional carry age to 18 with LD 424 on the grounds that someone is considered a legal adult at that age and entrusted with other decisions,such as voting or enlisting in the military. Maine Legislature weighs updates to machine gun definition, ghost gun regulations Under current law, an employer can't prohibit an employee from storing a firearm in their vehicle if the employee has a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm, so long as the vehicle is locked and the firearm is stored out of sight. However, Collins is looking to remove the requirement that an employee have a valid concealed carry permit with LD 998. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce opposed this bill citing concerns over employer choice and workplace safety. Additionally, Rep. Jennifer Poirier (R-Skowhegan) introduced LD 1049, which would repeal a requirement that someone carrying a concealed handgun without a permit must inform a law enforcement officer immediately that they have a firearm during a traffic stop or other such encounters. Maine State Police and the Maine Department of Public Safety opposed this proposal over safety concerns for both the officers and other individuals involved in those encounters. The final carry-related proposal came from Sen. David Haggan (R-Penobscot). He said LD 829 would clean up confusion in existing law by making it clear that someone can carry a concealed firearm in a state park, so long as they are not otherwise prohibited from possessing one. It removes the ambiguity that someone must have a permit to carry in a state park or Acadia National Park, he said. The bill includes an emergency preamble so it could take effect immediately upon passage with a two-thirds vote. This means it could be in place for the summer recreation season. Justin Davis, state director for the National Rifle Association, argued LD 829 is important not only for protection against wildlife in the Maine woods, but a security measure for females hiking alone. However, Friends of Acadia, an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the park, opposed the proposal for the sake of the millions of visitors who come to the park each year for tranquility. The Gun Safety Coalition of Maine opposed all four proposals, which they characterized as 'very dangerous.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
